'Underbelly' is over the top (in a good way)

Thursday

May 31, 2007 at 2:00 AM

It certainly has its fair share of historically accurate stories. They're just served up a bit differently than usual. Rather than a dry reenactment "The Underbelly Play" does the past with a heavy dose of camp, sass and sauce, not to mention a fair share of pop.

Jeanné McCartin

It certainly has its fair share of historically accurate stories. They're just served up a bit differently than usual. Rather than a dry reenactment "The Underbelly Play" does the past with a heavy dose of camp, sass and sauce, not to mention a fair share of pop.

"The Underbelly Play" is a stage-version of a rowdy and bawdy tour of Portsmouth, written by George Hosker Jr. with Laura Pope. The tour features the most unsavory characters from the city's history. Expect the same from the play.

The facts are there — though chances are they weren't originally accompanied by a Herman and the Hermits tune — but it works. There's the tale of the last woman hanged, and the notorious sheriff that had a hand in it. There's murder, a pirate governor, area poets and the great fires. In addition there are two earthy, fictitious, sailor philosophers who lend a great bit of wit to the goings-on.

The play initially introduces the audience to the suspect lot as a group, sort of a who's-who, afterlife gathering of the city's notorious. Era is unimportant. It's laid out much like the tour would be without the walk. The characters' tales, some more successful than others, are delivered through a patchwork of short pieces. There are those that are straightforward — though always with a comedic, dramatic flare. Other segments put narration to stronger use.

One little such gem has the talented and hilarious Marian Marangelli, performing as Minerva, a lady of the night, recalling a tale about John Langdon (smartly performed by Dennis Purdie). Marangelli, in this scene and most others, doesn't even need to open her mouth to get a laugh, the body language and facial gestures do it all. It's just a great performance all around.

Hosker, who hands in a solid performance as Silas the spy, also underscores the humor in the non-verbal joke. That, coupled with a bit of outrageous delivery in the Silas/Benedict Arnold, drew one of the largest laughs of a night fairly filled with them. For the most part the remaining performers hand in fine performances.

This is definitely adult material. So, for the physically adult — go have a little spice with your silly history.

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